Top for guitars and similar stringed instruments



June l0, 1930. 1,762,408

ToP Fon GUITARS AND SIMILAR STRINGED INSTRUMENTS W', W- NELSON Filed Aug l2, 1927 Patented June 10, 1930 PATENT OFFICE WILLIAM W. NELSON, BROOKLINE, MASSACHUSETTS TOP FOR GUITARS AND SIMILAR STRINGED INSTRUMENTS Application led August 12, 1927. Serial No. 212,557.

The invention relates to an improvement in tops for guitars and similar stringed instruments. These tops or sounding boards are usually substantially flat and of relatively thin stock or wood of uniform thickness. On this account and on account also of the top being usually of some considerable size, difficulty has been experienced in that the string tension of the instrument brought to bear upon the top at the point of the bridge, tends to distort the top caus ing a bend therein which is very ob]ection ab e.

The object of the invention is to provide a top or sounding board of proper vibratory character which will not be susceptible to bending by the string tension brought to bear upon 1t.

The invention can best be seen and understood by reference to the drawings in Which Figure 1 is a face plan of the improved Fig. 2 is a plan of the improved top look 23 ing from the back.

Fig. 3 is a cross section on the line 3 3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a cross section on the line 4 4 of Fig. 2. 3U Fig. 5 is a cross section on the line 5 5 of Fig. 2, and

Fig. 6 is a cross section on the line 6 6 of F1 2.

Reerring to the drawings 1 represents the top having a sound hole 2 in it. The top is substantially fiat and of relatively thin wood of uniform thickness throughout. The top is provided with a longitudinally extending arch 3. This arch is most pronounced along the klongitudinal centre of the top, gradually diminishing as approach is made to its side edges, the arch terminating preferably at points removed from these edges. The top is thus arched by means of spaced cross pieces 4 extending beneath the under side of the top and borne by it, and to which pieces the to is glued. These pieces are not bent, but ashioned from strips or pieces of wood. The inner sides of the respective pieces or those sides to which the top is glued are fashioned to have precisely the same arched contour as has the top secured to them. In fact the top receives its arched contour by being bent onto, and glued to these pieces without further bending than that attained by such connection. As many of the cross pieces may be employed as may be found necessary to impart a proper arched contour to the top and retain such contour. Customarily four pieces are employed as shown in the drawings, two arranged in spaced relation to one another above the sound hole in the top and two similarly arranged below it. Running between the two pieces adjacent the sound hole on either side of this hole the top is preferably reinforced by strips 5 glued to its under side and extending in a longitudinal direction. The top is also preferably reinforced at the point where the bridge is to be applied by means of a reinforcing strip 6 glued to its under side.

Having thus fully described my invention, I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States A top for stringed musical instruments in which a relatively thin and substantially flat top is subjected to string tension through an interposed bridge, comprising spaced cross pieces extending beneath the under side of the top and borne by it and to which pieces the top is glued, the glued surfaces of said pieces in the part thereof extending across the longitudinal central portion of the top being arched and the top being bent to conform to said arched surfaces whereby the top, when glued to said pieces as aforesaid, will be arched transversely along its central portion.

WILLIAM W. NELSON. 

